Andrew John (A.J.) Weber is a portrait and fine art photographer based out of Oakland, Pittsburgh. Between street photography, mixed media, conceptual works, traditional portraiture, and wedding/engagement work, his reach between photographic genres ranges far and wide. A.J.’s work crescendos in his street work, where he hones his craft in conveying all walks of life in the Steel City and beyond.

A.J’s photography has been featured in several publications, including Collision Literary Magazine, Digging Through the Fat Press, Brainchild Literary Magazine of the MidEast Honors Association, and Forbes and Fifth Undergraduate Research Journal where after being published he served on staff for two years as the Section Editor for Art.

<<< click to view A.J.'s collection, Smoke From an Unseen Fire

(mixed media: photography/poetry)

zaiweizhang94@gmail.com

Zai Wei Zhang is a visual maker from Surrey, BC. He recently graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in Illustration. His work is a distillation of the everyday experience. By drawing inspirations from his memory, he seeks to reconcile the clashing identities inside of him. Being an illustrator unleashes his creative spirit; his personality is his style, as he often bounces around many types of imageries. He currently works as a freelance illustrator in Brooklyn, NY, living with his fellow artist roommate Vincent and a dog named Vinny.

"(Uhm… “how to write a proper artist statement” Google search…)

I just like to draw stuff based on random ideas that appear in my head, sometimes I feel uncomfortable if I think too deeply about what I do, like there is a deep message that I need to get across, sharing universal pains or whatever. I’m not against message or concept, but I like to keep them to myself sometimes. It’s hard to talk about something that you don’t even know or trying to figure out (at least for me)."

(BTW he really likes ramen and bathhouses.)

Allie Stewart considers herself a student of many things, but she is first and foremost a student of life, using mediums of poetry, photography, and conversation with strangers to learn the details of the world around her. In sharing her work with Flowers for Strangers, she wishes to share a sentiment with others that they, too, can balance their creative sides with the chaos of an early adulthood experience.

Bryndonartspends his time recreating Andy Warhol's pop art nostalgia using subtleness and introverted mediums. He then takes things a step further by incorporating visuals into his poetry. Bryndonart's vision behind his art is to create timeless portraits that could be mistaken for a fuji film portrait from the 1970's or an editorial from TheFader. Nonetheless, Bryndonart wants his viewers to form their own opinion about his artwork and stick to it.

Katie Lysik is an emerging painter, illustrator, and writer from Rhode Island."I am fascinated by storytelling, by the transportation and rich worlds that can be created in a narrative. I am obsessed with humans. Their desire to understand, the hatreds they can’t get over, the love that unites and divides them, the ability to find meaning in every corner. Though my work often explores religion, it is not born from a religious perspective, but instead a complete need to understand the raw humanity that populates our earliest mythologies. There is something both seductive and maddening about knowing the answers to my questions will always be temptingly out of reach. "

"I have always used metallic, iridescent and interference colors to create reflective areas in the paintings.

My new Crystal Matrix Series incorporates glitter, glass beads and metallics to embody a surface of shimmering, sparkling iridescent light."

Eugenie Diserio makes kinetic abstract paintings with vibrant and muted colors, evocative marks, brushstrokes and personal calligraphy. A lifelong painter and visual artist, her work is in juried shows, permanent exhibits and private collections. She studied at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, earned a BFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University and an MFA in Fine Arts from Columbia University. While a graduate student, she co-designed the catalog, "ROOMS" for PS1's inaugural show in Long Island City, a show with 78 cutting edge artists that "has since become a landmark in the art history of 1970's New York." After experimenting with conceptual and performance art, she co-formed the seminal 80's art rock bands, Model Citizens, The Dance and Chandra whose music continues to be licensed and sampled in films and recordings today. "Historically and now, reflections have to do with human beings communicating with the spirit world and connecting with life's deeper mysteries.

Ultimately, I hope my paintings create a pause for the viewer to recognize, recalibrate and reboot."

BRAVE

ASCENSION

PHOENIX RISING

blue nights collecion

collection #1

"I love being different. We all have ideas and images of life and I want to challenge them. I want to challenge what we can create and see how far we can go. If I can take a picture that makes someone think differently about how they see art then I've accomplished my goal. My work has been inspired by everyone I've ever met, so I want to do what I can to inspire others in the same way."

Levi Colton is a visual artist hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His biggest influences are James Jean, Tomer Hanuka, Supakitch and his older brother (and fellow artist in crime) Christian Colton. He currently draws inspiration from organic forms, fantasy, graphic novels, and exploring subconscious perception. His work aims to juxtapose strenuous & focused detail with playful & intuitive mark making to evoke ethereal images that are lighthearted and ominous all at once. Recently, however, he has changed gears and pursued more formal observational art.He has showcased work in multiple events and shows, including The Pittsburgh Art Crawl, String Machine album release show, Pancakes & Booze, and Art RAW in Pittsburgh. Levi has done commissioned work for both personal and business purposes, including band tee design for Portrait People, single-release prints and band tee designs for MIGHTY, and several company logo designs.He currently resides in the frigid trenches of Edinboro, Pennsylvania. He is studying Painting and Commercial art at Edinboro University, and has found significant tutelage under other fine artists such as Malcolm Christiihlf, Dietrich Wagner, and Danielle Mužina. He thoroughly enjoys kicking the program's ass and vice versa.

Kat Keimig is a Visual Artist from North Kingstown, Rhode Island. She recently graduated with a degree in history and has come back to her passion of photography and cinematography. While her work is primarily photography (both film and digital), she also works with video and graphic design. Her photos are focused on both landscape and urban photography, while her cinematography is focused on her traveling experiences and events.